Family Involvement : Family Involvement Parents as Partners in Education
EXE 636
Think about… : How the involvement of a student’s family will enhance his/her education.
What are some of the obstacles we face in the classroom in connecting with parents?
What strategies have we used in the past to make connections? Build partnerships?
What are some of the obstacles to these strategies? Think about…
Glyph Activity… : What is a glyph?
A graphic symbol whose appearance conveys information, visual representation of an idea.
Directions: Each person will need one schoolhouse and several colored pencils of crayons.
Can work alone or with partner. Glyph Activity…
Slide 4 : Procedure: Think about the relationships you have with your parents. Think about what strategies and activities you are using to foster these positive relationships. As you work creating your glyph, reflect on what strategies worked as well as what strategies you may want to implement this year. .
If you called the parents to welcome them, draw three windows on your school house. If you would like to call them this year, draw two windows. .
If you sent positive notes home with your students to share their successes, draw curtains in your windows. If that is something you will try, draw smiling faces in your windows. .
Slide 5 : If you provided your students’ parents with your email address, color your school house door red. If you will this year, color your school house door blue. .
If you set up and utilize a class webpage, draw four yellow flowers on the right side of the door. If you are interested in learning how to set up a class web page, draw four red flowers. .
If you sent home a weekly or monthly class newsletter, draw an apple tree on the left side of your door. If this is something you may consider trying, draw butterflies on the left.
Slide 6 : If parents volunteer in your classroom regularly, draw roof tiles. If you plan on soliciting their help this year, color the roof red. .
If you begin all parent conferences with a positive comment, add knobs to the school house doors. If you will try this year, add a school name above the door. .
If you keep a parent communication log, add a “Parents Needed” sign to the front of your school. If you have a parent volunteer log, draw stars on the sign.
Assumptions : • The teacher can provide nurturing in all areas of education.
• The government will continue to fully fund all educational mandates.
• We should be able to reach family members at all times.
• Children begin school with all the necessary skills to be successful. Assumptions
Beliefs : • Educating children must be a partnership between the home and the school.
• All parents want their children to be successful.
• Parent involvement is paramount to student achievement. Beliefs
What are your beliefs… : As a teacher I…
Feel parents are more work than help
Feel tense when parents enter my room
Prefer to work alone
Compare brothers and sisters from the same family
Feel threatened by families
View parents as a great resource
Believe that low income parents do not care
Enjoy working with several outside persons in the classroom
Have prejudiced feelings about certain groups What are your beliefs…
What are your beliefs? : Feel that parents let children watch too much tv
Feel that parents are not interested in their children
Believe that parents who let their children come to school in inappropriate clothing are irresponsible
Feel that a close relationship with the parent is necessary for optimal student growth
Am relieved when parents are gone
Anticipate parent conferences with pleasure
Feel that parents have abdicated the parental role
Enjoy working with parents What are your beliefs?
Discuss : How do your own values impact the decisions you make in the classroom.
How might your values be perceived by a parent that is reluctant to participate?
How might your values be perceived by a parent who is over-involved? Discuss
Parent involvement and social-emotional development : Early parent-child interactions are an important influence on a children’s emotional development
Children learn to express and interpret emotions through interactions with primary caregivers.
Social development involves the ability to form and sustain social relationships with adults and friends which is central to a child’s preparedness for school. Parent involvement and social-emotional development
Slide 13 : Parents socialize their children to follow the norms of society in accordance with their own cultural beliefs. Varies depending on culture.
Respect for elders
Mutual respect
There are variations in social behavior resulting from how parents were raised themselves.
Children learn to internalize their parents value system.
Roadblocks to Communication : Parent Roadblocks
Protector role
Inadequate-me role
Avoidance role-
Indifferent Parent role-not that big of a deal
Don’t make waves role-pretender things are ok
Club-waving-advocate role Roadblocks to Communication
Roadblocks to communication : School roadblocks
Authority figure role
Sympathizing counselor role-waste of time
Pass-the-buck role
Protect-the-empire role-advocate for the faculty and the student
Busy-teacher role Roadblocks to communication
Effective communication : Total attention to the speaker
Restate parent concern
Show respect
Recognize parent feelings
Tailor discussion to fit the parents ability to handle the situation
Don’t engage in a topic you know is likely to lead to anger
Emphasize that concerns are no one’s fault
Remember that no one ever wins an argument. Effective communication
Effective comminucation : Protect the parent’s ego
Focus on one issue at a time
Listen
Become allies with the parent.
Tips? Suggestions? Effective comminucation
Article Discussion : Why do scores increase and discipline referrals decrease when family and community become involved in the school system?
What do your schools do to involve parents and do you think parents are involved enough, too much, or not enough in schools? Article Discussion
Slide 19 : Do you think parents in low socio-economic school districts feel more intimidated to get involved with these types of programs versus parents from middle-upper class school districts.
As female teachers, how can we make sure that each child have a male role model in their life?
Summary : Parents are your best ally when trying to develop social skills in your students
Use your effective communication skills in every communication with parents, including letters home, phone calls and informational packets…not just conferences.
Use volunteer time as teachable moments for parents too! Subtly.
Know the cultural values of your parents.
Know your own value system. Summary
Next weeks module… : Parent Education Project
Review Rubric
Questions
Work time- Please use this time to work with your groups.
Before you leave I need to know…
If you will be working alone or with a partner
Your topic. Next weeks module…
One minute : Learned
Surprised
Confused
Change One minute